Convenience stores serve an assortment of prepackaged and freshly cooked foodstuff and are located in shopping malls, gas stations, rest stops, airports and nearly any location where large volumes of people travel, live, work and eat such that people can conveniently buy ready-to-eat foodstuff. However, one of the most popular snack-foods in the world, french fried potatoes comprising strips of potato that are deep fried (“french fries”), are not typically served at convenience stores due to the high cost of purchasing and running a hot oil fryer/cooker system. Such a system often requires an exhaust system, overflow protection or drainage, grease traps, maintenance and cleaning, insurance, and additional employee wages.
Self contained automated machines for cooking french fries are known. One known french fry vending machine stores the potato as dehydrated granules to prevent the foodstuff from perishing. When a user inserts money into the machine and places an order, a portion of the dehydrated granules are released into a chamber. Hot water is then added to the granules in the chamber to form a potato mixture. Extrusion plugs are removed from a die forming the bottom of the chamber and the mixture is then extruded through the die to form potato strips. The potato strips are received into a basket and the basket is moved by a robotic arm into a container of hot cooking oil. Once cooked to form french fries, the french fries are placed into a serving cup and dispensed to the user. Though such a machine effectively provides a vending machine for dispensing freshly cooked french fries, the vending machine is not practically implemented into a convenience store because the machine is much too large to fit into a small and already crowed store or other indoor areas. Further, the machine is expensive due to the automation, currency acceptor and the robust housing needed to prevent vandalism.
Further, it is known to provide a rectangularly-shaped french fry that is symmetrically shaped such that each french fry is cooked evenly therethrough. Cooking time of a potato strip is only reduced by making the potato strip thinner or small in cross section. French fries that are too thin, easily break while cooking or eating or may be undesirable as compared to thicker french fries based on a user's preference.
What is needed, but not provided in the prior art, is a foodstuff dispending machine that utilizes single-use dehydrated foodstuff containers to reduce the number of automated steps and components required in a foodstuff dispensing machine. Additionally, what is needed is a french fry that is shaped to reduce cooking time but maintains a maximum cross-sectional width and strength. Additionally, a foodstuff dispensing machine is needed that reduces the amount of maintenance required for the foodstuff dispensing machine.
The present invention provides the solutions to the disadvantages described above since it is low-cost, installs in minutes, and is virtually maintenance free.